Waiting in the Waves
by Amaryllis-Amy
Summary: I've spent years waiting for the beautiful boy that made my chest burn. He was the reason I existed, and I would wait for him. No matter how long it takes.
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you enjoy this. I worked hard on it, and I really think you guys will like it. Please read the author note on the bottom. It's important. Thank you to my brilliant Omega, Jaymili, for everything you do for me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight**

**Chapter 1: My Beautiful Love**

I saw him once, a long time ago. The day had been cloudy as it usually was on La Push beach. I had been swimming in the gray waters, as I always did. Every day I swam. I swam because it was all I could do. I swam because I was all alone, and I had no one else. I swam because, if I didn't, I would surely die, but that all changed the day I saw him.

His hair was a lovely copper color. I guess it could be called bronze. He was tall, even for a man. He was pale, like the moon I gazed up at during the night. He was beautiful, painfully so. He wore an expression of sadness and pain on his lovely face. I ached to chase it away. I wasn't able to see the color of his eyes, but I know that they are beautiful because everything about him is. The way he walked, so majestic and graceful, yet so powerful and masculine. He made my heart pound in my chest. I knew instantly who he was. He was mine, the one that my heart had ached for all the years that I had existed for no reason at all. The one I dreamt about at night, the one who I would love forever.

He walked on the multicolored sand, staring out into my dark waters, not seeing me because I kept myself hidden in the waves. I wanted to stop hiding. I wanted to go to him. My whole being ached to go to him, but I was too scared. I wasn't human. Would he be disgusted by me? Would he run and scream? Would he reject me?

He turned his head, tilting it slightly, as if listening to something. I watched him glance at the gray waters one more time before turning to leave. Pain seared my chest as he ran from me.

_Don't go._

I had noticed though, the way he ran. I knew he wasn't human either. No human could run like that. I knew of three other creatures besides myself. The humans that were so plentiful; they came often to play in the water. The wolves that protected this land. They had been here even longer than I had. The cold ones: beautiful, deadly, evil is what the wolves called them. They often jumped into my waters to escape from the pack. The wolves spoke ill of them. They were monsters that fed off of humans, but my mate was no monster. My love was beautiful. The expression on his face did not belong to that of a monster. He wore a mask of pain that seemed to be a mix of a small child; lost, sad, and alone; and an old man, burdened by life's cruel ways.

I had told myself that it was alright that he left, though my chest burned as if a fire had flared in my heart. I told myself he would come again tomorrow. I would go to him then.

That was a long time ago. Years turned into decades. Every day I waited for him to come back. My chest still burns from the fire. My heart yearned. Many nights I cried myself to sleep in the cold, dark waters. I waited every day. I watched humans come and go. I watched the wolves run by sometimes while they patrolled the beach. I watched some other cold ones who were not the one I desired jump into my waters to escape the wolves.

I would often hear a tiny voice that would cry out, what if the wolves had gotten to him? I refused to listen. Another voice said that I was a fool for not going to him the moment that I first saw him. I agreed with it. There was a third voice that said I should go onto the land and search for him myself; I ignored that voice as well. I would get lost, surely, and what if he came back, and I wasn't here. I just had to be patient. My beautiful boy would come back to me.

I would wait for him. He would come. I didn't for how long. I didn't care if it was centuries. I wouldn't die. I wouldn't leave. I just had to wait. He would come back to me. So I swan in the dead waters. I swam and swam, but this time I had a reason to swim. I had a reason to live. It was so I could be with him, so I could chase away the pain from his beautiful face, so I could shower him with my love.

B&E

I swished my tail back and forth watching the way my blue scales reflected the sunlight. It looked as if it was shimmering. I was quite fond of my tail. I knew my hair was brown and long. It curled its way down to my waist. I knew my eyes were the same color as my tail, the blue-green color of the ocean on a sunny day. I knew my breasts were a bit larger than those of most of the human women I often saw. I knew I had been in these waters for decades though I didn't know how many. I also didn't how I came to be. I didn't know if there were others like myself. I didn't know my name, if I had one that is.

I bathed in the sunlight that was so rare to La Push, humming in contentment. I loved rain, truly I did, but the sun felt so warm against my normally cold skin. It was a nice feeling. I was hidden from the wolves and the humans. I had two secret places I would often go to. The secluded rock clustered section of the beach, where I was presently, that no one came to because the rocks were so jagged, slippery, and dangerous. I also had my cave where I usually slept in at night. It was actually a large boulder in the cliff that you could only go into if you swam under the water and into the opening in the bottom of the large bolder. Inside it was a small pool for me to swim in and rest, and a section of sand where I could practice my walking skills. There was a small opening in the top to allow sunlight and moonlight, but no creature larger than an eagle could fit through it.

I rested on a giant stone as my skin soaked up the sun. Humans rested in the sun a lot. Sometimes, their skin burned and turned red, other times, it darkened; they called this tanning. My skin color never changed no matter how long I was in the sun. It always remained the same light color.

I could sense the change in the weather coming though. It was now summer and storms were frequent. One would probably be here by noon tomorrow. I enjoyed the sun while I could. Shifting uncomfortably, I placed my hand over my bare breast. My chest seared with the aching pain that was now so familiar, my constant companion that reminded me why I lived. I laid there for hours and watched the sun move from the east to the west. If I could describe myself, the word I would use would be hopeful. I loved watching the sunrise because it meant that my love could come today. I loved the sunset because it meant he might some tomorrow. In the world that I lived in, my only friends were the sun, the moon, the stars, and the water that was often gray rather than blue like today, and hope. My hope that I would see him. My hope that he would come back to me.

I released a heavy sigh as I watched the sunset. Another day had ended, and he had not come, but there was my hope; hope that he would come tomorrow. I slid from the rock I had been sun bathing on and was about to make my way to my cave for the night when I heard a scream.

"Help me!" I heard a voice yell. It was that of a young boy. Many times humans had needed my help because they had been drowning. Maybe a child had ventured too far out, or maybe someone fell from one of the cliffs. There were even occasions when teenagers from the reservation would go cliff diving, and for some, the waters were just too strong. I prided myself with the fact that no one had died or been significantly harmed at the beach because of me though they had no idea that it was me who had saved them.

The yells had begun to dissolve into coughs and gurgles. I dove under the water and used all the power I had to swish my tail as fast as I could. I could swim almost as fast as a cold one could run. I finally spotted a young boy flailing in the water. He was obviously a Quileute. He had the same black hair and tan skin as the other tribe members. I had seen him on my beach before. It was obvious he was exhausted. He was quite far from the soar, and he probably didn't have enough strength to make it back. I focused on the waves, pushing and pulling them, so they kept the boy's head above the water. Then I sent a powerful wave to push him back to soar. He was shocked to notice the change in the water, but thankfully, he didn't fight the water as I manipulated it.

I followed him at a safe distance until he was able to stand in the water without any problem. He was gasping and coughing, but he didn't appear to be injured. He made his way up the beach and out of the water. He stumbled a bit, and his movements were sluggish. Once he was out of the water, I gasped as I watched him collapse on the dry sand. I swam towards him, but I could hear voices calling.

"Jacob! Jacob, where are you?" A woman's voice echoed around the beach. She didn't sound very far away, so I wandered a bit farther away from the shore, so as not to be seen. The boy coughed where he lay. I assumed he was Jacob.

"Mom," he rasped, trying to call her. He his eyes, and to my dismay, they landed on me. I froze; no one had ever seen me before. The boys eyes widened, and his lips moved, but no sound came out. I couldn't be sure what he trying to say; I was too frightened to focus. My heart was racing. I was sure that to humans, I would probably be viewed as repulsive. Humans usually thought that creatures other than themselves were scary. Some even screamed at the sight of a little sea slug, though it was completely harmless. They called it gross and disgusting. Would I not be seen in the same light? I didn't stick around long enough to find out.

I ducked under the water and swam to the opposite side of the beach. The boy, Jacob, was still in my sight, and I was glad to see that a frantic woman was running towards him. Judging from her anxious behavior and the way he responded to her, she was probably his mother. Human mothers tended to be very protective over their children I had noticed over the years. Behind her was a man who I assumed was the boy's father. He picked up his son and carried him away from the beach while his mother continued to fuss.

_Jacob._ I would remember that name. This was the first time I had ever been seen. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I guess it really didn't matter. The boy was safe, and that was all that I really cared about at the moment. I once again ducked under the dark, cold waters and swam to my cave. The sun had long since set, and I was greeted by the moon's luminous light once I entered the cave.

I was tired, but I hadn't practiced walking in a long time, and if…when my love comes, I need to know how to walk in order to go to him. I concentrated on my tail, imagining two human legs in its place. My tail morphed. It was a somewhat painful process, but this was for my love, so I bit my lip and bared the pain. I was panting by the time my tail split in two, but the whimpers and groans escaped my lips when my fins turned into feet and toes. I exhaled in relief when I felt my scales smooth and melt together into skin. That part wasn't painful, just a bit uncomfortable. In place of my long, flowing tail were two milky, human legs. I wiggled my little toes giggling at how odd they looked. Toes were so cute.

I climbed out of the water and crawled on the land. I did my usual routine. I started out on my knees before easing back so my feet were flat against the sand; then I placed the palm of my hands against the sand and pushed up, so my hips were in the air, and my back was bent forward. I slowly unfurled my legs, so it was like I was bending to touch the ground. I then lifted my hands, slowly, very slowly off the ground, slightly spreading my legs a bit to gain balance. My legs shook a bit, and I fell a few times, but I finally managed to stand up straight. I was out of practice. It had been a long time since I last had manifested legs.

Now came the walking part which I wasn't very good at. I slowly lifted one foot and shifted my wait to the other. I then placed my foot down and went to lift the other. I fell. I tried again. I fell…again and again and again.

"Finally!" I exclaimed excitedly when I reached the cave wall. I then turned around and walked to the opposite wall. I stumbled, but I caught myself before I could fall. I praised myself for maintaining my balance. I walked back and forth between the walls ten times. I could feel the usual exhaustion grab hold of my body. It was better to do this in the morning when I had the most strength. I finally got the hang of it. I decided to try and jog. I fell.

"Will I ever get this right?" I asked looking up at the moon. I laid there in the sand, too exhausted to get up. The change always drained me of energy, and standing and walking and especially jogging zapped all of my strength. My body was completely drained. I was cold though and shivering. I rested for a few moments before I gathered the small amount of energy I had left to crawl over to the pool. I slid in, and once I was submerged, I used what little strength I had left to change back. The pain once again ravaged my already exhausted body. I passed out before my tail had fully taken form.

B&E

I woke up with a terrible headache. My tail had changed back all the way while I had been unconscious. I shrieked as a loud clap of thunder boomed in the practically black sky though it was late morning. I had been right about the storm. Thunder and lightning boomed threateningly as rain pelted down. I loved the rain, the sound and smell were comforting to me, but thunder and lightning terrified me. I decided to stay in my cave instead of venturing outside.

I hadn't dreamt about my love last night much to my disappointment. I would dream about him sometimes. Sometimes they were different, but most of the time it was the same one. I would be swimming in my dark waters as I always did, but then I would turn and see him standing on the beach. Instead of wearing his mask of pain and sadness, he was smiling sweetly…at me. He would swim to me as fast as he could, maneuvering gracefully through the water, and when he finally reached me, he would hold out his hand as if he was going touch my face, but just before he could touch me, I would wake up. It was a beautiful and cruel dream.

Years continued to pass. I did what I always did; I swam. I saved a few people who had wandered too far, or teenage boys who were quite obsessed cliff diving. They would have competitions to see who would jump from the highest point. Many of them would have died had it not been for me. I even recalled a time when a particularly foolish boy actually pushed another off the cliff because he didn't think it was safe and had been trying to convince the others to stop. I believe his name was Seth.

I had seen Jacob on the beach a few times. At first, I think he might have been searching for me because whenever he visited the beach, his eyes would scan the waters as if looking for something or, more likely, me. He had grown into a teenager. Eventually, as the years had passed, he had stopped looking for me. Maybe he had forgotten about me, or he might have done what most humans do, pretend that I wasn't there, which I was fine with. I didn't really want anyone to know I resided in the water. Humans normally didn't like to acknowledge what was right in front of their eyes, but if they did, if they didn't like it, it would only mean disaster. I had watched many humans kill other creatures, not for food as nature had intended, but because they feared the creature or disliked it or thought it was simply ugly. Disgusting was a word they would use a lot. I didn't want to be told I was disgusting, so I continued to keep my distance.

More than anything, I was a coward. I told myself I was worried about the humans' reactions, but in all honestly, I was scared that if they viewed me as disgusting, would my love see me as the same? He looked like a human himself, only more beautiful. Would he like how I looked. I didn't have one of those looking glasses that human women often used. I think they're called mirrors. I would occasionally see my reflection in the water, but either it was too dark or the waves jostled my reflection too much for me to get a good look at myself. I could only hope that my love would find me pleasing.

Another day had passed without my beautiful boy returning. I let out a despondent sight before deciding to swim to my cave. The water felt very calm at the moment, almost too still. It was a bit creepy.

I heard the growls of the wolves not far away. I could see a bright orange light coming from the beach. They must be having a bon fire. I swam in that direction and stopped close enough to hear what was going on. I had nothing else to do. I hid myself in the waves. I had become a master eavesdropper after all these years.

The wolf pack currently consisted of three men: Paul, Jared, and Sam, the leader. They all looked the same: tan, black cropped hair, massively tall, and muscled. The tribal elders were there as well.

"The Cullens are back," Sam spoke up as they all sat by the fire. His imprint, Emily, was sitting next to him. She was very pretty, Emily. She was also very kind, but her gentle face was marred with dark scars. I had heard the wolves talking about it on rare occasions. Sam had injured her when he had phased too close to her.

"Those bloodsuckers are back?" The wolf I knew to be Paul asked outraged. His temper was terrible I had learned from my years of observing the pack. I didn't like him very much.

"They have followed the treaty. The Cullens are allowed to stay in Forks," Billy reprimanded him, "so I don't want any of you to get any funny ideas about attacking them, alright? If they don't provoke us, we don't provoke them. Keep your distance from the cold ones." I had learned that Billy was Jacob's father. Sarah, Jacob's mother, had died in a car crash a few years ago. Billy had been injured and was now in what humans called a wheelchair. He couldn't use his legs anymore. Cars sounded scary. I always felt sad when I saw Billy. If I wasn't able to use my tail to swim, I would be miserable.

"This means that more wolves will evolve," Quil, or old Quil as they referred to him because he shared the same name with his grandson, said gravely.

"Dammit! Why did those leeches have to come here?" Paul shouted, his form trembling. His temper always made me feel made me uneasy.

"I have to agree with Paul on this one. Now even more boys are going to be changing," Jared joined in. Jared was nice enough. He seemed pretty quiet compared to the others. He had an imprint as well. Her name was Kim. She, like Emily, was also very sweet, but she was very shy. Apparently, she had loved Jared for a long time. She was like me, and her patience had paid off. I could only hope that mine would as well.

"There's nothing we can do about that," Sam stated, somewhat reluctantly. "As long as they don't bite anyone or cross the treaty line, we can't do anything to them." They all wore the same grave expression. I on the other hand was shocked. I had known about the treaty for a long time, and I had heard the wolves talk about the Cullens, but never had this thought crossed my mind. If my love was part of this "Cullen" clan the wolves were referring to, then he wasn't allowed to come here. I would never see him. Then, of course, there was the dark part of my mind that said the wolves had killed him already. Either situation was terrible.

The wolves continued to bicker over the Cullens. They were so close-minded. If the Cullens didn't hunt humans, then why did the wolves hate them so much? I had lost interest in their conversation. I wondered back to my lonely cave for another night of pain. I had been practicing my walking skills a lot more lately. I couldn't exactly jog, but I could speed walk slightly. I had to practice consistently in order to maintain my current level which wasn't exactly that impressive, but it was better than ever before.

The pain was as terrible as always; I didn't think I would ever get used to it. After a few minutes of practicing, I was actual able to jog! I tried skipping and fell a few times, but I did manage to do it, and I was buzzing with excitement. I had never gotten this far before, but of course, the exhaustion was setting in. I stumbled my way toward the water, but my eyes were blurry, and I couldn't hold my balance. I had fainted before I could make it to the water.

_I was walking…on the beach. The sand slid between my toes. The sun had not yet risen. I looked around the area. There was no one around, but I was still uncomfortable being out in the open. I had legs and looked pretty human, but it was still unnerving. A strong wind blew, whipping my hair around my face and making my naked body shiver. Surprisingly, I was able to walk confidently toward the dark water. I waded into the water, and when it came up to my waist, my tail morphed, but…there was no pain. _

_I swam out into my usual grey waters. I had gotten quite far away from the shore only to turn back when I heard the sound of the wolves growling. Looking in the direction of the threatening sounds, I saw them making their way the down the cliffs. They were chasing a cold one. No…they were chasing _my _cold one. I pumped my tail and swam towards the shore, but no matter how hard I swished it, it still moved agonizingly slowly. I tried to command the waves, make them push the wolves away, but they wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't move them. If only to make matters worse, they began to wrap around _me_, so I couldn't move, keeping me away from my love._

_I watched, screaming in horror, but no sound came out of my mouth. My chest set aflame as the wolves tore my love apart right before my eyes. I clawed and thrashed in the water trying to get to him, sobbing and screaming at the wolves. My love didn't fight back. He just stood there still wearing his mask of pain. The wolves ripped his legs and arms from his body, and just as his eyes met mine for the first time, they tore off his head._

"No!" I woke up screaming, clutching my chest. I still lay where I had fallen in the sand. I was panting, my heart was pounding, and my chest was aching. I was filled with horror when I saw I still had legs instead of my tail. Scrambling onto my legs, I scurried over to the water and threw myself in. I immediately morphed my tail; the pain hit me full force, but I didn't care. I welcomed it because it just proved my dream hadn't been real. I always felt pain when I changed. Tears continued to stream down my face as I sobbed and sobbed.

"It wasn't real. It wasn't real," I rocked back and forth, my arms wrapped around me. I was in my cave, and it was still dark out; dawn had not yet approached. My sobs finally quieted into whimpers. I should have gone to him that first day. I should have called out to him. I shouldn't have hid in the waves like a coward. I continued to cry in the darkness of my cave; and then I heard it, the growls of the wolves, sounding just as they had in my dream.

"No, no, no, no," I dove under the water, pumping my tail, thrashing it fast as I could. It couldn't be real. It wasn't happening. I wanted to believe they were just patrolling, but they didn't growl like that when they were patrolling. They growled when they were chasing, when they were hunting…when they were attacking.

_Please, please. No._ I desperately zoomed through the water, following the aggressive sounds until I was finally able to locate the where the wolves were. My head broke through the water as my eyes desperately searched the dark surroundings looking for the wolves. I was finally able to spot their massive silhouettes. They were on the cliffs, swiftly making their way down to the beach, and they were indeed chasing something. By how swiftly it moved, it could only be a cold one. They were too far away for me to see him, but I knew it was my love. The ache in my chest was fading the closer they got to the beach. He had come back to me. My love had come back.

All the years that I had been waiting had not been for nothing. They fire that burned my chest every day, a painful reminder that he wasn't with me, was now dissolving, and my heart was fluttering in my chest. I wanted to see him. I didn't just want to see his outline. I wanted to see him: his achingly beautiful face and bronze hair. I wanted to hear what his voice would sound like. It was probably just as beautiful as the rest of him.

The sun was starting to come up, and I stayed there in the water, completely still and staring like an idiot. I was them filled with the terror of realizing just how similar this situation was to my dream. After all these years of waiting, my beautiful boy had returned; the wolves were chasing him, and if I didn't do something, they would tear him apart.

B&E

I shifted the waves lightly, testing to see if they would respond to me. I breathed a sigh of relief when they immediately followed my command.

"Thank you," I whispered fervently to them before returning my attention to the wolves and my love. They were making their way down the cliffs and towards the beach. My love was much faster than the wolves, actually blurring in his swift movement, and reached the beach before the wolves did, but Sam was not far behind.

I sent a wave to grab hold of my love and pulled him into the water. I then dove under the water to retrieve him. He had a look of pure surprise etched on his beautiful face, and his eyes widened even more when he spotted me. I grabbed him and thrashed my tail, sending us to my cave. My hands tingled pleasurably where I was touching him. I was touching him! I guided us through the underwater opening and into the safety of my cave. Our heads broke the water, and my love continued to wear a dazed expression.

"I'm sorry! I know I probably shouldn't have just grabbed you like that, but Sam was right behind you, and in my dream, the wolves tore you apart, and I just couldn't let that happen!" I rambled on, but he just gaped at me, his eyes wide and mouth open. "Please say something!"

"Um…I'm sorry, but I really don't know what to say in this situation," he finally managed to speak. He lifted himself out of the pool and stood on the sand. His voice _was_ just as beautiful as the rest of him. It was smooth velvet, so soft and cool. I wanted to melt. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I took in his gorgeous form. His clothes were soaked, clinging to him. He seemed even taller than I remembered. His face was no longer a mask of pain, but astonishment and confusion.

"I am grateful that you saved me. Thank you for that," he smiled sweetly. I gasped. He smiled at me. He was so lovely. His eyes were a beautiful golden color that made me think of two small suns.

"Why were they chasing you? You didn't break the treaty did you?" I asked horrified. If he broke the treaty, then the wolves would never allow him to leave safely.

"You know about the treaty?" He asked surprised, sitting down by the edge of the pool, so I didn't have to crane my neck as much to look up at him, but he sucked in a sharp breath and averted his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately assuming he was injured. "Did the wolves hurt you?" I moved closer to him to see if I could locate any injuries.

"No, no. I'm fine thanks to you, but um, could you possibly cover your chest," he asked with a strange expression on his face, his eyes still not looking at me. He looked somewhat pained, embarrassed was more like it.

"Why? Does it look weird? I thought men liked women's breasts," I asked concerned. Men always stared at women's chests when they were on my beach. What if he didn't like how my body looked? Did he find me repulsive?

"That is not the issue here. Whether I like them or not is irrelevant. I would just prefer to speak to you with them covered," he spoke through gritted teeth. He sounded angry.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered. I brushed my curls over my chest, so my breasts couldn't be seen, sobbing all the while.

"Why are you crying?" He asked me, his face pained. He was now looking at me much to my dismay. The tears came harder.

"You don't like how my body looks," I managed to force out between sobs. This was just what I had feared. I didn't look the way a beautiful human woman should look.

"No! Your body is very beautiful; I just can't focus on the conversation when so much of you is exposed," he hurried to reassure me. The embarrassed look returned to his handsome face, but it was also mixed with concern, hopefully for me. Then I gasped. He had called me beautiful. He wasn't repulsed by me. He liked my appearance. I felt the warmth once again return to my cheeks.

"So, um… why were they chasing you?" I asked him again. A part of me was still dazzled by the fact that he was really here right in front of me. His expression quickly morphed. His face looked as hard as stone.

"There was a girl, a young girl," he began, a pained expression was again returning to his face. He spoke as if every word was poison. I hated that he was hurting so much. He always seemed burdened when I looked at him. "Another vampire had attacked her, I tried to save her from him, but… things didn't turn out so well." A dark look shadowed his face. "She died, and he escaped. The wolves smelled me and the blood; they automatically jumped to conclusions. The poor girl's body is probably still lying there."

I had gravitated towards him without realizing. I reached my hand out to touch his were it was resting on the sand. We both gasped when we made contact. He hand was colder than mine, but a sparkling feeling spread its way through my body, warming me. I wanted to rub against his hand and purr, but that was not the point of my touching him. He was sad and hurting. I wanted to comfort him, somehow.

"I am sorry. The wolves are very impulsive and untrusting. They were always looking for reasons to attack your kind. They had no right, and I'm sorry about the girl too. It was very kind of you to try and protect her," I whispered, too abashed to look at his face. I still held his large hand in mine. My skipped a beat when I felt him squeeze it gently. I dared to peek up at him. He was staring at me with a look I couldn't describe, but his eyes looked warm and inviting.

"I appreciate you saying so," his velvet voice washed over me, caressing every part of me. He hadn't released my hand; I was grateful for that. It gave me the strength to finally speak.

"I waited for you," I blurted out. He looked at me surprised for a moment. "I saw you a long time ago. When you first came here, you came to the beach. I saw you. I wanted to call out to you, but I was too scared," my voice trembled, and tears stung my eyes. My whole body was quivering. "You didn't come back after that. I thought that something had happened to you like the wolves had killed you, or maybe you just weren't ever going to come back." The tears managed to escape. My loved gasped when he saw them trailing down my face. I was too embarrassed to look at him. I focused my gaze on his hand which still held mine. My hand was trembling in his.

"When I last came here…that was almost eighty years ago," he stated hesitantly. I still couldn't look at him. I knew I had waited a long time, but I still didn't understand the human concept of numbers.

"I didn't think you were coming back. I was really scared," I continued to cry. The pain of all those years hit me like a tidal wave. I was filled with relief now. He was here, holding my hand. My beautiful boy was here.

I gasped when I felt his other hand touch my cheek, brushing my tears away. The feeling was exquisite, and without thinking, I nuzzled my cheek against his hand, a cooing sound escaping my throat.

"Why would you wait so long for me? You don't know me," he asked gently. My desire to see his face overpowered me. I looked up at him. His eyes were sad but soft.

"Because you're the one I'm supposed to spend forever with," I shrugged uncertainly. He was my forever, my love. Why wouldn't I wait for him?

He was silent for a long while. I didn't know what to think about that. I could see the thought churning within his golden eyes. He still hadn't let go of my hand. It was still cradled in his; I thought that was a good sign.

"How can you know that?" His voice sounded as nervous as mine.

"It's just a feeling I got. I just _know_ somehow. My chest burns like it's on fire when you aren't here. I dreamed about you a lot while I waited. I _knew _you were the one that I was supposed to be with. I hadn't felt that way before about anyone. I would just swim and swim for no reason at all, but when you came, I had a reason," I choked on my explanation. I didn't know how else to phrase it. He looked so conflicted. His fingers tightened around mine.

"You said it burned you, your chest. You felt pain when I was away from you," he stated, but it sounded like a question, so I nodded my head, answering yes, nibbling on my bottom lip nervously. "I think I felt something similar to that though I wasn't sure what it was at the time."

My heart fluttered violently in my chest. What did he mean? He felt me? He yearned for me like I yearned for him?

"You…you felt me?" I asked fearfully, hope swelling in my already overflowing heart.

"I felt pain every day. It became a part of me. I wasn't happy. I wasn't along exactly. I had a family, but I was lonely. I didn't want the life I had. I loathed…I loathe myself," he spoke, the ever present pain capturing him again. I wanted to scream at it to go away. I wanted to drag it to the bottom of the ocean and make it drown. "I was existing for no reason at all. When I came to La Push for the first time, I gazed at the water wishing I could drown." I gasped as pain seized my chest. No, no, no. I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let the water hurt him, and I told him so.

"I wouldn't let that happen! I wouldn't let the water harm you in any way!" I screamed at him, tears streaming down my face. I was crying so much today. He looked at me sadly, shaking his head. He rubbed my hand with his thumb.

"It was my pathetic thought. The water can't kill me anyway, so I can't say for sure it was death that was on my mind. When I turned and left, I didn't want to. I wanted to jump in and swim to I had no idea where. My chest ached after that. I thought it was because my suicidal thoughts had influenced me a bit too much. I thought that it was because I just wanted to stop living, but…I couldn't hurt my family that way, so I went with them. I didn't return to the water, even though I knew it would mean sudden death because the wolves would kill me. I didn't think about the wolves, even though they were what would end my existence. I just thought about the water, even though it couldn't hurt me. I just wanted to jump into it. It looked so inviting at the time. I wonder if that was because of you." He looked at me with an emotion that I could only hope was affection. I wanted to swim in his warm, gold eyes.

"You were really sad when I first saw. You looked like you were I pain. I wanted to take it away. I wanted to make you smile," I blushed once again. My emotions were all over the place. I was happy because he was here, sad because he was in so much pain, embarrassed because I had no clue what to do in this situation.

He did smile then, and it was beautiful, "It makes me surprisingly happy to hear you say that. I don't even know your name."

"I don't have one," I didn't have parents. Parents were the ones who named you.

"You don't have a name?" He asked shocked but his expression quickly changed to apologetic. "I'm sorry that was rude. I didn't mean sound like that."

"No, it's fine. I know most people have names, but I don't have parents, so I didn't have anyone to name me," I blushed slightly at my next thought.

"What?" He asked curiously noticing my reaction. A slight smile played on his lips.

I bit my lip before whispering shyly, "I want you to name me that way I will have a name that you like." He looked surprised but his gaze quickly softened.

"Well, I'm honored," he smiled at me sweetly. My cheeks flushed with pleasure. His hand came up to cradle my cheek, stroking it softly. "So lovely," he whispered. I was going to faint. "Beautiful," the words rolled of his tongue. I was held captive by his gaze. "Beautiful, Bella. What do you think of Bella or maybe Isabella?" He asked me. I couldn't think at all with his hand still caressing my cheek. I so sure my heart had stopped.

"What?" I asked dazed. He chuckled; my heart fluttered at the sound. I wanted to ask him to do it again. I whimpered when his hand left my cheek. His gaze was so soft while he looked at me. What was that emotion in his eyes?

"Do you like the name Isabella?" he asked me again. His tongue caressed the syllables when he said the name. I wanted hear him say it again. "Maybe even Bella for short."

"Do you like it?" I asked. What he thought was what was important.

"I do, but I want you to like it as well. It is your name after all," he responded sweetly. Isabella. I sounded so lovely when he said it. I couldn't help but like it.

"I like it," I nodded.

"Beautiful, Bella," he repeated gently with his velvet voice. "It suits you." The fact that I could still breathe was astonishing. My whole body was in a state of chaos. He called me beautiful.

"You are beautiful!" I blurted out without thinking. He blinked at me slowly in surprise before the most glorious sound left his enticing lips. His laughter filled my cave, and I wanted to dance in it. The sound of his melodious laugh was far more lovely than any song I could ever sing.

"I'm glad you think so, but I am not sure if beautiful is a term used to describe a man," Edward smiled sweetly at me. He sounded carefree, and there was happiness shining in his eyes.

"I think that beautiful describes you better than handsome," I pouted. His gentle smile turned into a full-fledged grin. He chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile. I had been able to ease the sadness from his face and eyes. "Oh, Isabella. I have not laughed like this for decades. Thank you."

I smiled at his praise, "I like your laugh. You're more beautiful when you're smiling. I hate seeing you in pain." He gazed me softly before he lifted my hand, which had remained cradled in his, to his lips, kissing it softly. The action sent a rush of longing through my body.

"Well, I find your smile to be quite lovely," he whispered against my fingers, his cool breath sent a shiver down my spine. I bit my lip as I felt my cheeks flush even more. "Your blush as well."

"What…what is your name?" I asked eager to know. He sighed softly, allowing our entwined fingers to fall softly on the sand.

"I haven't told you yet, have I? It seems I have forgotten all etiquette. My mother would be ashamed," he mumbled to himself. "My name is Edward. Edward Cullen. It is a pleasure to meet you, Isabella," released my hand, and I wanted to cry out, but I watched as he rose to his feet and bent his waist in a bowing motion. I giggled at the little wink he gave me before smiling and straightening to stand to his full height.

"Edward is a very beautiful name," I complimented. And it was because it was _his_ name. His gaze locked onto my tail which I had been unconsciously swishing playfully while my attention had been focused on him.

"Would you like to touch it?" I asked uncertainly. He seemed interested in my tail and not disgusted by it. The look on his face was one of pure fascination.

"May I?" He asked. I bit my lip but nodded. He slowly made his way into the pool as though not to frighten me. The water went up to his neck. I waded to a shallower side, and I sat on a rock that was in the pool and stretched out my tail, so he could easily feel it. He gently rested his hand on it, and I gasped at the burst of warmth that erupted from the spot. He pulled his hand back quickly.

"I'm sorry. Did that hurt?" He asked concerned, his golden gaze locked on my flushed face. I shook my hand quickly.

"No, it doesn't hurt. I'm sorry. It just surprised me. You can touch it," I encouraged him. I wanted to feel his hand on me again. He began at the top, close to my hip, and slowly caressed his way down the glistening scales. The feeling was divine. His touch was soft and sent tingles all through my body. My tail moved slowly beneath his tentative fingers as if urging him to touch it more.

"It feels so smooth," he whispered in awe, stroking my scales. His hand was more relaxed. He made his way down to my fins at the end of my tail. My fins were very thin and delicate. I had never touched them before, but whenever they brushed against something, it was almost painful because they were so sensitive. I braced myself for the pain, but when he slid a finger along the thin skin, a squeal exited my throat. I quickly covered my mouth, shocked by the sound. Edward looked at me surprised before hesitantly repeating the action. I couldn't help the giggles that escaped me. It tickled.

"Ticklish are we?" Edward asked smiling playfully. I bit my lip and fought to contain my laughter. He continued to tickle my fin. It danced and curled around his fingers. He stroked it once more, and I couldn't help my reaction. I swished my tail, and my fin slapped him right in the face. I gasped, both hands flying to my mouth. The sound of the slap resonated in the cave, echoing off the walls. Edward stood completely still, blinking slowly, his mouth wide open. His hair dripped with the water my tail had flung at him.

"Edward, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to," I stuttered out an apology. I hadn't been able to control myself. Edward just chuckled and shook his head.

"It's fine, Bella. It didn't hurt; it just surprised me," he smiled at me reassuringly.

"I am sorry," I had slapped him in the face. Accident or not, it was a terrible thing to do.

"You don't have to apologize, Bella," his hands continued to stroke my tail, and my cheeks warmed as pleasure coursed through my body, and contented sigh breezed through my lips. Edward smiled at the sound, a wicked glint graced his eyes as his fingers once again caressed my fins.

"Edward!" I squealed both because it tickled and in warning because I didn't want to slap him again. He laughed at my reaction, and my heart warmed at the sound.

"They feel different from the rest of your tail," he observed, cradling them. "They feel so soft and delicate. They're even smoother than the rest of your tail."

"Do you like it? You don't think it's disgusting?" I asked nervously. He seemed to enjoy stroking it.

"What are you talking about? Your tail is lovely, Bella. Why would you think I would find it disgusting," he asked surprised. His reaction startled me a bit.

"Well, humans would sometimes call the sea creatures gross or disgusting, and I didn't know if you would think _I _was, too," I explained in a whisper of a voice.

"A mermaid who doesn't think she's beautiful," Edward shook his head disbelievingly. "Your tail is gorgeous, Bella. _You_ are divine. Never think any different," he chastened me. I flushed happily by his compliments, but something he said made me curious.

"What's a mermaid?" I asked. He just stared at me for a long moment. His hands still rested on my tail though his movements were halted.

"_You_ are a mermaid, Bella," Edward said slowly as if he himself wasn't sure.

"I am?" I titled my head to the side questioningly. Is that what I am? A mermaid?

"Didn't you know that?" Edward asked with a peculiar expression.

I shrugged, "I didn't know what I was. I have never seen anyone like me before, and I've never spoken to anyone before."

"You've never spoken to anyone," he repeated aghast. "What did you do for eighty years?"

"I swam…and waited for you. I saved some people when they were drowning, but I never let them see me, and I never spoke to them," I told him.

"Bella, you've been here alone for almost a hundred years?" He asked, a look similar to fear crossed his face. He looked pained once again. I hated that.

"It's okay; I mean I was a bit lonely, but I knew you would come back, well I hoped you would, so that made it okay," I hurried to explain to him.

"Bella," he breathed my name, his expression saddening even more. I slipped off the rock and swam over to him, so we were face to face.

"Don't be sad, Edward. Please, don't be sad," I cradled his beautiful face with my hands. His cheeks were cold and hard but smooth. They felt nice to touch. He was as pale and luminescent as a pearl. I stroked his smooth cheeks, hoping to comfort him in some way.

He smiled softly, and his eyes warmed much to my relief, "I'm not exactly sad, Bella, but it does upset me to know you were alone for so long. I wish I had come back sooner."

I was already shaking my head, "No, it's not your fault. You didn't know. I was coward, and I should have called out to you on that first day. It's _my_ fault that I had to wait."

"Love, no. You were scared. That's not your fault. You had never spoken to someone before," I flushed at his words. My hands slid down from his face and rested on his hard chest.

"I call you that," I said softly, my eyes locking with his.

"Call me what?" he asked curiously.

"I call you my love," I told him shyly. "I didn't know your name, but I knew I loved you, so I…" I trailed off, not sure what to say anymore. He smiled at me with what I was sure was affection, and I shyly ducked my head. It wasn't fair that he was so beautiful.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long, Bella," He now cradled my face in his hands, tilting my head up, so he could see my eyes. "I don't think I'm worth eighty years of waiting," he shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

"Don't say that!" I pressed myself closer to him. "I love you, and I waited all those years because I knew you were worth it, and you are! Don't say you aren't!" I didn't realize how close were until I felt his nose brushed against mine. I was made dizzy by his close proximity and his cool breath on my face. He still had my face cradled in his hands. I bit my bottom lip when I saw just how close his mouth was to mine.

"Your eyes are beautiful," he whispered gazing at me. I couldn't think about anything else. My heart was fluttering like a bird in my chest, and I couldn't stop looking at his gorgeous eyes. It looked as if a golden liquid were swirling in them. Sunlight mixing with water.

"_Your _eyes are beautiful," I rebutted. He chuckled resting his forehead against mine. I loved how close he was to me. After waiting for so long, he was right here. I felt warm all over. My tail wrapped around his legs. His hands caressed my flushed cheeks,

"May I kiss you, Bella?" He asked softly. His velvet voice caressed me just as his hands did. My whole body tingled at the thought of having his lips on mine. I nibbled on my lip nervously but nodded my head.

"Yes," I whispered as his nose brushed against mine. My eyes fluttered closed as his cool breath washed over my face. He smelled divine. He smelled like warmth, like sunshine and something else that I couldn't name, but I loved it.

"Isabella," he breathed before brushing his lips gently brushing against mine. One of his hands left my face to touch the small of my back, pressing me closer to him. The other continued to cup my face. His lips danced against mine, firm but gentle, hard yet soft, smooth and cool, but warmth spread though my body. He tasted delicious, and I couldn't get enough. I never wanted the kiss to end. He held me tightly but gently, and my hands clutched his wet shirt as the water bobbed around us.

Time seemed to still for one perfect moment, and my tail wrapped tighter around him, pulling me impossibly closer to him. I sighed softly against his mouth, my breathing heavy when he pulled away for a moment that seemed to last forever.

"Edward," I whimpered before he finally returned his lips to mine, quenching the ache I felt inside me. My whole body felt like it was tingling. My head felt light, as if I were in a dream. When our lips finally broke apart, I wanted to cry. He gazed down at me, and I flushed with happiness and embarrassment. I buried my face in his chest, smiling softly. I sucked on my bottom lip, still able to taste him. The hand that had been cradling my face moved to play in my hair, and his other arm wrapped tightly around my waist. My heart finally began to calm as he soothing stroked my hair and the smooth skin on my back. I hummed in contentment. He had definitely been worth waiting for. It was sudden. I felt his body tense, and I looked up at him to see that he was looking up himself. His face concentrated as if he was listening for something.

"What's wrong?" I asked concerned. He lowered his gaze to look at me. His eyes were sad once again.

"I have to go, Bella," he whispered, but it felt as if he had shouted them. My heart stopped, and my whole body froze.

"What?" I asked, hoping I had misheard him. "Why? Did I do something? Was the kiss awful?" What had I done to make him want to leave. I thought he had enjoyed like I had. Panic surged through my body. Surely he would have pushed me away if he didn't like it. He wouldn't be holding me like this if he had hated the kiss, would he?

"No, silly Bella," he pressed his forehead to mine, calming me. "The kiss was wonderful, love," his words and the fact that he had called me love warmed my heart which had been frozen in my chest.

"Then why do want to leave?" My tail tightened unconsciously around him. My whole being was adverse to the idea.

"I don't _want_ to leave, my love. Believe me, I don't," he sounded pained. I didn't like that. "But my family is calling for me. They're worried because I haven't returned, and the wolves are probably after them as well considering the treaty is broken. I have to go to them," he said forlorn. His family, I had forgotten. He wasn't like me. He hadn't been waiting alone for me. Edward had a family. He wasn't just mine alone.

"I see," I looked away from him, my heart breaking slightly. My tail released him, and I forced my hands to let go of his shirt. I tried to move away from him, but he pulled me right back, clasping me to him. I tried to push him away, but it was impossible. I didn't want him to let me go. I was fighting a losing battle. I tried to hide my face, so he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes, but he wouldn't have any of that either. He cupped my face once again and tilted it up, so I would look him in the eyes.

"Isabella, please don't be upset. I don't want to leave you, truly," His eyes were so sad, and I couldn't fix that. Only his family could. I shook my head at his words.

"I know you don't," I whispered, pulling away. This time he let me. "Can't I come with you?" I asked.

He shook his head sadly, "The chances that I'll have to fight the wolves are very high, love. I don't want to endanger you like that."

"Why would you tell me that? You can't fight them!" Fear seized my heart as I remembered my dream. "They'll kill you, Edward!" I was crying now. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

"Shh, love. Don't cry. I'm much faster than they are. I'll be with my family before they can catch up to me, and there are more of us than the wolves. I'll be fine; I promise," he rocked me in his arms. He had to go. His family was in trouble. I couldn't be selfish, and I couldn't let my fears hinder him.

"Okay," I pulled back and nodded my head. I took a deep breath calming myself, and I took his hand and tugged on it slightly. "Follow me," we ducked under the water and swam out of the cave. I led him to the jagged rocks where I sunbathed on the far side of the beach, away from where the wolves had last seen us.

"You can escape the beach from here. These rocks are too jagged and slippery for anyone to cross, including the wolves. The forest isn't far from here. I can distract the wolves for a while," I told him, trying not to think about what was happening.

"What do you mean distract them?" Edward asked concerned.

"Don't worry about me," I tried to calm him.

"Love, don't do anything dangerous, please" he pleaded with me.

"I won't, and the same goes for you. You have to promise me you'll be safe…and you'll come back," my voice broke at the last part.

"Isabella," he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him. "I will come back to you, and I'm not making wait more than day. I hate that you have to wait at all.. You've waited enough in your life."

I shrugged, "I'm good at waiting." I kissed his cheek. "I don't care how long I have to wait; just come back to me safely. Promise," I suppressed the urge to cry.

"I promise," he kissed me softly. For that precious moment, I forgot about my fear and his danger, and I drowned in the sweetness of his taste. My tail wrapped around him once again, holding him to me, but reality slapped me in the face when we finally had to break apart. He looked anxiously in one direction as if he were listening to something again.

"Go!" I urged him. _Don't go!_ I wanted to yell what I hadn't yelled all those years ago. Now I was saying the opposite, and I hated it.

"I will come back, Isabella. I plan on kissing you many more times, and next time I come, I'm taking you with me. That is my promise," he kissed me one final time before hefting himself out of the water and onto the rocks.

"I love you," I said trying not to cry. He looked beautiful standing on the rocks. My beautiful boy. My Edward.

"I love you, too," he whispered smiling softly at me. I did cry then. He loved me. _He loved me._ "It's not goodbye, Isabella. I'll see you soon." I nodded, and when he ran from me, I bit my lip, so I wouldn't scream for him to come back. I took a shaky breath and dove back under the water. I had to distract the wolves, so they wouldn't follow him. I focused all my attention on that. It became that much harder when the fire returned to my chest, achingly familiar, but even more painful than before.

I finally reached back to the beach. The wolves roamed around as if they expected Edward to jump out of the water any time now. Most of them were there. I climbed up on a rock, took a deep breath, opened my mouth, and sang. My voice carried easily over the waves, and the wolves heard it immediately with their sensitive ears. My siren song enticed them. They shifted back to their human forms, and lured by my voice, they made their way into the water. I didn't want them to come so deep that they would drown, but I had to make sure they couldn't get back to shore too fast. Other wolves came, concerned when they had noticed that their pack members had shifted. They too became entrapped by my song.

I sang with all my heart. I sang with all my love, all my fear, and all my pain. When I was satisfied by the number of wolves and how far they were, I stopped singing and quickly dove back into the water. I swam deep down, and I did what I had done for years. I waited and hoped. I waited for Edward to come back. I hoped that he was safe. I would wait for my Edward. I believed in his promise, so I swam into the depths of the sea, and I waited.

**So what I'm think is, this is a freakishly long one-shot, but I have no problem turning it into an actual multi-chapter story with a plot and everything. What do you think? Should I leave it as a one-shot?**

_**Recommendation:**_

**A Little Bit**

Author: MrzEdCullen

"...please, you know you don't have to go…You could stay here, with me…" He's playing a losing game. She will always choose another, but he hopes for a change; maybe, someday.

Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance - Edward & Bella - Chapters: 17 - Words: 59,773 - Reviews: 61 - Favs: 40 - Follows: 52 - Updated: 10-05-12 - Published: 04-27-11 - Status: Complete - id: 6945840

**Read it, review it, love it! I promise you will. See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So… Waiting in the Waves is now officially a multi-chapter story! I got a lot of positive feedback, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**A special thanks to bexie25. She was my beta for this chapter since my usual is working in Korea at the moment. I am so grateful to her. She I also a wonderful author, so please check out her stories.**

**Chapter 2: No More Waiting (EPOV)**

I sped through the forest as fast as I could, ignoring the flame that had erupted in my chest. Before I had met her, it had been a faint feeling, only slightly uncomfortable, but now, every part of my being ached to turn around and run back to her. It was only after I pushed my focus to the reason that I had left her that I remembered that my family had been in danger.

Alice had seen my future disappear, and the whole family had immediately run the Treaty Line only to be attacked by the huge mutts. As I got closer, I was relieved when their thoughts revealed that no one had been hurt. I also noticed the absence of the wolves. They were all gone.

_Edward, son is that you?_ Carlisle called to me mentally as he heard me swiftly approaching the large ravine that separated our land from the Quileute's.

_Edward, are you alright?_

_Are you okay, brother?_

The concerned thoughts of my family filled my mind, and guilt flooded through me. I had worried them quite a bit, and on top of that, they had been attacked because of me. When I finally reached the ravine, my sister threw her tiny form at me, clinging to me like a baby monkey.

"You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried we've been? I swear to God, Edward, if you ever do that to me again, I will burn you myself!" Alice sobbed into my shoulder. I stroked and kissed her jet black, spiky hair, trying to soothe her. I felt a fresh wave of guilt hit me anew.

"I'll help her," Rosalie said, walking over to me with her hands on her hips, her expression angry, but I could tell by her thoughts that she was glad I was safe.

"Edward," my mother whimpered. That nearly destroyed me. I knew Esme would have probably worried about me more than anyone else. Alice slid off me, and I opened my arms to my distressed mother.

"I'm fine, Mom," I tried to reassure her. Her cries broke my heart. The worst thing anyone could ever do was make sweet Esme cry.

_You do know that they'll use this to guilt trip you in the future? _My brother thought. I looked up to see Jasper smirking with his arms crossed over his chest. I smiled and nodded. He walked over to us and patted my shoulder.

"Glad to see you're safe, brother," he said as he squeezed my shoulder.

"Yeah, it would've sucked if you'd died," Emmett agreed, nodding his head with a serious expression on his face.

"Emmett!" Rose slapped him on the back of his head. He received glares from the female portion of my family. Carlisle watched the interaction with amusement before approaching me.

_You really worried us, Son,_ he scolded me, trying to hide his worry, but it was strong. He thought of me as his first son and closest friend. If anything had happened to me, he probably would have been the one affected by it the most. The ever-present guilt once again made an appearance. I hated inconveniencing my family. That was all I ever seemed to do.

"Why were you in their territory?" Carlisle's question brought back the memories of the incident that I was now cursed to remember for all eternity.

I relayed my story of how the nomad, James, had taken a young girl into the forest and had tried to rape and feed from her.

"I was being reckless. I attacked him without thinking," I told them. "The wolves had smelled my scent and the scent of blood. Of course, they jumped to conclusions. They chased me down to the beach." I didn't think this was the time or place to discuss Isabella.

_Bella._ I rubbed my smoldering chased. It seemed so ridiculous that I was infatuated with this girl. The idea seemed ridiculous. I had met, named, and fallen in love with a mermaid in less than an hour. Was mating always this hectic, this erratic? I would have to ask Carlisle later. Even while I was feeling grief for the poor girl, hatred towards James, and relief at seeing my family safe, more than anything, I wanted to see Bella. My desire to see her seemed to overpower every other emotion.

"What happened to the nomad?" Jasper asked, his eyes holding all the seriousness from his newborn days.

"He got away," my words were met by an enraged growl from Emmett.

"And the girl?" Esme asked hesitantly, as if she already knew the answer but was dreading my confirmation.

"Dead," my voice rang out, and my whole family went quiet except for their thought that swirled rapidly around in my mind.

_Bastard!_

_The poor girl._

_I'll kill him!_

_Oh, Edward._ My mother gazed sadly at me. I didn't allow myself to show any sign of emotion. It was a skill I had perfected over the years. I had become quite good at hiding my emotions from my family. My pain remained hidden inside me when I was in the presence of others. It wasn't until I was alone that I allowed myself to succumb to my emotions. My family shouldn't have to suffer my pain and bitterness. Poor Jasper could hardly stand to be in the same room as me for long periods of time.

"Is the girl's body still there?" Rosalie asked. As strong as she liked to pretend she was, she had a soft heart.

"I have no idea. The wolves might have moved her, or she could still be lying there," I remembered the look on the innocent girl's face as she gazed at me gratefully when I threw James off of her. She no longer had anything to be grateful for. I wasn't a savior, even when I tried to be.

Jasper squeezed my shoulder again and sent waves of comfort my way. It didn't help, but I was thankful for the effort. Thunder rumbled above us, making my thoughts diverted to Bella. Would she be alright in this storm?

"We should get back to the house. We can discuss this further when we're out of the rain," Esme suggested.

"Jazz and I can go look after the girl later if she's still there," Emmett offered. Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, boys," Carlisle led the way back to the house. I stared in the opposite direction. Isabella was waiting for me back there. The thought of putting even more distance between us made my chest flare all the more. Was she feeling the same pain?

"Ed, you coming?" Emmett's voice beckoned me. I turned to see him waiting for me. With one last glance in the direction of the reservation, I took off past my brother.

"Don't call me Ed."

B&E

"She wasn't there," Jasper told us as he and Emmett entered the living room dripping wet. Thunder and lightning continued to rage outside. My anxiety grew; was it safe for Bella to be in the ocean when this was going on?

My mind finally registered Jasper's words. Had the wolves moved the girl?

"Yeah, the mutts probably moved her. The place reeked of them," Emmett flopped down on one of the couch nest to Alice, shooting me a sympathetic look. I made sure my face was a stone mask.

"Ew, Emmett! Do you have any idea how much this dress is worth?" She shrieked as she hopped up from the couch, trying not to get wet.

"Well, at least they had enough brain power to realize that it would be barbaric of them to leave the poor girl on the ground like that," Rosalie grumbled from her spot next to Alice on the couch.

"Emmett! I know you did not just flop down onto my couch in those disgusting clothes. You and your brother march upstairs and get changed. You can clean the couch later," Esme chided them and they hustled up the staircase.

"Edward, are you alright? You seem a bit out of it," Alice asked as she approached me.

"I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all; nothing for you worry about, Ally." I kissed her forehead before I went upstairs to my room.

_It's never something for us to worry about_, she thought, sounding perturbed. _We're your family, Edward. It's perfectly alright for you to rely on us. It's encouraged even._

I didn't respond; I didn't know how. I allowed myself to release the sigh I had been holding in for so long. I wanted my Bella.

I turned on some music and lied on the couch, staring at the ceiling fan as it spun above me. Everything was changing so quickly. I brought my hand to my lips. I had kissed her, and it had been the most wonderful experience I'd ever felt in my entire existence. The few hours I had spent with Bella had given me the greatest happiness that I had ever known, and now, here I was, laying like a lovesick dog as I waited for the opportunity to run to La Push and get her. The question was, how would I get around the wolves?

"You okay, Edward?" Rosalie stood in my doorway, staring curiously at the hand that had unconsciously made its way over my heart where the fire felt the most severe.

"Oh, yes," I got up from the couch. "Did you need something?"

"Everyone is meeting downstairs. Carlisle says it's important," she told me, all the while to looking at me with a concerned expression on her face. I followed her down the stairs into the dining room to see my family seated around the dining table that had never really served a purpose before. I sat in the seat between Alice and Carlisle, aware that all of my family members had their eyes on me.

_Edward seems really different. _

_Are you okay, brother?_ The amount of times I had been asked if I was alright today was ridiculous.

"I would like to discuss us leaving Forks," Carlisle began. "The treaty has been broken, and the wolves are no doubt readying an attack on us. I hope to leave before a war breaks out. I don't want anyone hurt, and I certainly don't want to risk losing any of you." We all nodded in understanding. "While coming to that decision, is there anyone who has any objections to leaving Forks?"

There was a brief moment of silence. Everyone was in agreement with Carlisle. Forks was no longer safe for us; this was true, but even more so, we didn't question Carlisle. Though he didn't really think so, we thought of Carlisle as more than just the father of our family. He was also the leader of our coven, and to us, his word was law. The only one who wanted to remain in Forks was Emmett, for purely idiotic reasons. Emmett wanted to stay only because he wanted to battle it out with the wolves.

"Good, then we should leave immediately. Alice is unable to see the wolves, so we have no idea when they'll attack us. It's best if we leave as soon as possible. We won't have time to set up the paperwork, so we'll be going to stay with the Denalis until we can work out where we'll be living next," Carlisle informed us.

"Edward, we're going to see your favorite cousin!" Emmett boomed. I tried to ignore him. Tanya was the last thing I needed to think about right now.

"Please only pack things that will fit in the cars. We can send for the furniture and other larger items once we're settled," Carlisle directed his gaze towards the females of the family who looked away, abashed. What was surprising was when he looked towards Emmett as well.

"What are you trying to say?" Emmett asked defensively, much to my sisters' delight. Alice and Rose failed to muffle their giggles. Jasper didn't even try to hide his laugh.

"Emmett, you are the most materialistic male in this house. I don't need fifteen different flat screens, sound systems, and gaming devices crammed into my car," Carlisle responded without missing a beat. Even Esme had to crack a smile at that.

"Always picking on me," Emmett grumbled, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"When are we leaving?" Jasper asked after he had finished laughing at Emmett's expense. He was already thinking of calling Jenks for new papers and calling the school to tell them we were transferring.

"I was hoping we could leave by tomorrow morning. The sooner we're out of here, the better," Carlisle said, once again all seriousness. I had seen the answer in his mind before he had spoken it. I hadn't known he had planned to leave so quickly.

"I might need to stay behind, Carlisle," I spoke slowly and quietly. The words barely made their way out of my throat.

"What?" he as well as my other family members shouted, all simultaneously rising out of their seats

"Why, Son?" my father asked me, trying to get over his initial shock.

"I need to go back to La Push," I raised my head to meet his eyes. They frantically searched my face, looking for some sign that I was only kidding.

"Edward, why would you go back there? The wolves will kill you!" My mother grabbed my shoulders, as if holding me would somehow stop me from going.

"I left something there." My voice could only be heard by the ears of a vampire at this point. I was causing my family to worry. I hadn't wanted that. I had thought I would have had more time to plan out a safe way to retrieve Bella.

"And is this 'something' worth losing your life for?" Rosalie screeched at me. She looked as if she wanted to grab me too.

"Yes" was my immediate answer. Bella was more than worth it. The thought of her made my chest burn even hotter. Rosalie flinched back at my reply.

"Edward, surely nothing could be so important that you'd risk dying," Esme tried to convince me. If only she knew.

"Brother, you can't go back there," Jasper protested.

"They'll tear you apart, Ed; whatever you left there, it's probably best that it stays there," Emmett agreed.

"I'm not asking any of you for your permission," I growled angrily. "I'm _telling_ you; I'm going back to La Push."

"Edward!" Esme gasped, unable to believe the anger she was hearing in my voice. I very rarely shared emotion in front of my family, and now, here I was, growling at them.

"What did you leave, Son?" Carlisle approached my cautiously. Esme removed her hands from me, so I could turn to face him. A part of me really didn't want to tell him, but this man was my father and role model. I had no secrets where Carlisle was concerned. He knew me better than I knew myself, and suddenly, I felt like a lost little boy who needed his father.

"My mate." The words were whispered so low, but they seemed so loud, as if they were echoing off the walls. "My mate is in La Push, Carlisle." My words were a plea for his understanding.

"She's not a vampire, is she? Because the wolves would have already-" Emmett interjected, but I was already shaking my head.

"No, she's not a vampire. That's why I couldn't take her with me. I would have been bringing her into a war while she was completely defenseless," I told them.

"Your mate is human?" Alice asked, shocked.

"No," I shook my head. "She's not a human either."

"Holy shit! Edward's mate is a wolf!" Emmett boomed.

"You mated a dog?" Rosalie asked, aghast. Thousands of thoughts invaded my mind.

"No! Would all of you please be quiet? My mate is not one of the wolves!" I shouted. They shut up for a few precious moments as I tried to get _my_ thoughts under control.

"Then what is she?" Alice asked the question everyone was thinking.

"It's too difficult to explain at the moment, but Carlisle, I have to get her out of there. I'm not leaving without her!"

"Of course not, Edward; we would never expect you to leave your mate behind. But it's going to be dangerous getting her out of there. Are the wolves a danger to her?" He asked concerned.

"No, she's safe from them. They can't get to her, but neither can I, and she can't leave on her own." Bella had never left the ocean before. She would have no idea what to do or where to go if she ventured on land. "She's hiding by the beach."

"Geez, your mate had to pick the place farthest from you to hide?" Rosalie sneered, but inside, she, too, was thinking of ways to help me.

"It's the only safe place for her," I said vaguely.

"It's probably best that only two or three of us go to get her. The less of us there are, the less likely we are to attract the pack's attention," Jasper said as ran through all sorts of strategies in his mind.

"We'll have to postpone leaving then," Carlisle said grimly.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry." I was being a burden to my family. "Please, you don't have to-"

"Edward! You are my son, biological or not. If you think that I am going to leave you here to fend for yourself, then you are surely mistaken." He spoke with a commanding yet paternal tone. I looked down, feeling chastened and ashamed.

"Edward, you very rarely ask us for anything," Esme said, resting her hand on my cheek. "Let us do this for you. Please?" I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How was I supposed to reply to that?

"Now, how do we get this girl out of the mutts' territory?" Emmett spoke up.

"I can't see anything!" Alice exploded. "Every vision shows you going to La Push, but either you don't come back, or when you do, it's completely fuzzy and blurry. It's making my head hurt!" Jasper went over to comfort his mate. Was it Bella that was causing Alice's visions to go haywire?

"What does that mean?" Rosalie asked.

"As long as you come back, it doesn't matter. Let's focus on finding a safe route in and out of La Push," Carlisle said as he ran his hands through his hair. An idea popped into my head.

"The trees," I spoke up. "The wolves can't climb in their other forms. We can jump through the trees. Even if they try to knock them down, we can jump before they try."

"That's brilliant!" Jasper smiled at me. "The pack stands no chance against us in the air."

"Alice?" Carlisle asked my sister.

"I see Edward and Jasper going, and I see them coming back, but like I said before, they're blurry," Alice complained as she flopped back down into her chair.

"Aw! I don't get to go?" Emmett whined childishly.

"They leave later tonight. The moon is a bit higher in the sky than it is now, so I would say a little after midnight," Alice continued, ignoring Emmett who was still sulking.

"Sure, everyone just ignore Emmett. It's not like he's part of the family or anything like that," he yammered.

"Oh, hush, you big baby," Rosalie said as she moved herself onto her mate's lap.

"Sorry, Em, but it's best that only Edward and Jasper go. The larger our numbers are, the higher our chances of attracting the pack's attention gets. Trees or not, I would rather they not have to encounter the wolves at all," Alice stated while rubbing her forehead. Jasper had placed her on his lap and was now stroking her hair, trying to calm her and soothe her head ache.

"Is there a specific place where she would be, Edward?" Jasper asked ad began to formulate a plan.

"I would say on the far eastside of the beach. That's where I last saw her," I told him, remembering the jagged rocks Bella had shown me. Jasper and I could easily cross the rocks. We could swiftly get in and out of the beach using them, but my only concern was how Bella would react to traveling. She had never left the water. Would she react negatively to the being out of the ocean for a long period of time?

"Edward!" I looked up, startled. Apparently my family had been trying to get my attention.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, somewhat embarrassed that I had blanked out like that.

"We'll be waiting not far from the treaty line once you return. Make sure you and Jasper stay close together. Don't separate unless absolutely necessary," Carlisle warned us. Jasper and I nodded in agreement.

We spent the rest of the evening planning. Jasper and I picked a route filled with vegetation that would cover us as we ran to the beach. The rest of my family would be stationed by the treaty line in case we needed to call for them. Alice continued to check her visions every few minutes. She didn't see the wolves attacking us tonight, and she always saw Jasper and I returning from our journey. She stressed that it was important that we leave after by midnight and no earlier.

B&E

When midnight finally came around, we were plagued by the worries of my mother and sisters. Rosalie and Alice threatened to kill me if I didn't return in one piece, though if my not returning did occur, I was most likely dead anyway. I decided not to tell them that. Alice showered her mate with kisses, threats, and I love you's. Esme made me promise to come back and introduce her to the woman who had stolen my heart.

"I've waited decades for you to find your mate!" she claimed, and it was true. Esme and Carlisle had wanted me to find a mate more than I had back then.

I had made sure to put a large towel in a backpack for Bella. Jasper shot me a curious look when he saw the bag on my back, but he didn't say anything, which I was grateful for. The moon was high in the sky now, and my whole body was thrumming with anticipation. I would have my Isabella soon.

"Ready, brother?" Jasper smacked me on my shoulder. I was more than ready. All I wanted was to have Bella back in my arms again. The wolves could go to hell.

"Let's go." We leaped into the trees, our senses working a hundred miles per second as we listened for any sign that the wolves were coming. Jasper followed behind me as I led him to the beach, weaving carefully through the trees, all the while scanning the minds of every thought that I heard. I didn't detect any sign or thoughts that revealed if the wolves knew we were in their territory. I breathed a sigh of relief when the jagged rocks came into view.

_Edward, these rocks look dangerous. What would your mate be doing here? There is no place for her to hide,_ Jasper asked me, cautiously following me on the slippery stones. The fire in my chest flared once, making me wince, before it finally cooled; Bella was so close.

"Jasper, what you're going to see is going to shock you, but we can't draw attention to ourselves so just keep the reactions to a minimum, please." I spoke in hushed tones, so lowly and quickly that only a vampire could understand it. He looked at me oddly, his thoughts filled with questions, but he nodded in understanding. I smiled at him gratefully before turning my attention to the water.

"Bella? Love, are you there?" I reached my hand down into the black waters that shimmered as it reflected the moon's luminous light, watching as the ripples spread out from my hand. "Isabella?" I felt something soft grip my hand, and I couldn't help the smile that made its way to my lips as I felt my mate's tiny fingers tangle with mine. I tugged the small hand out of the water, and out followed my beloved.

"Edward!" she exclaimed. She threw her arms my neck, and mine wound around her small waist. The water from her skin seeped through my clothes, but I didn't care. My lips immediately captured hers as every other thought flew out of my head. She was here, soft, sweet, and safe in my arms. Her lips moved eagerly against mine, and I was acutely aware of the feeling of her soft breasts, wet and bare, pressed against my chest. I tried not to ravish her in front of my brother, but she pressed herself farther into me, and it became increasingly difficult to maintain my self-control. Her taste was divine, far more intoxicating than blood, and her scent was tantalizing. My body burned for an entirely different reason now.

"Ahem!" Jasper cleared his throat loudly. I resisted the urge to growl at him as I pulled away from Bella. Bella hadn't noticed that Jasper had been with me and squealed before leaping back into the dark water.

"Love, no. He's my brother; there's no need to be afraid," I cooed, trying to coax her back out of the water. Her sparkling eyes looked up at me as she raised her head from the water. I reached out my hand to her and pulled her back into my arms. She bit her lip before shyly waving at Jasper.

"Bella, this is my brother, Jasper. Jazz, this is my mate, Isabella," I introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Jasper said politely, all the while staring at her swishing tail.

"Bella, we have to leave now. We can't let the wolves know we're here," I told her. Her eyes widened a little, both in surprise and fear, before she nodded her head slightly, signaling her understanding. She was obviously scared, and as much as I wanted to comfort her, we didn't have the time. We had dallied enough already. I moved to lift her, but she protested.

"Wait, Edward. Please, just give me a moment," Bella shifted on the rocks so she was in a sitting position. "Um, could you maybe hold my hand? Just for a second." she quickly added. She looked at me uncertainly. I had several questions, but I held her hand like she asked, allowing our fingers to lace together. Bella smiled at me softly before taking a deep breath. Whimpers of pain escaped through her lips as she panted and groaned. Her tiny fingers wrapped like a vice around my hand.

"Bella!" I exclaimed, panicked as I tried to calm her. What was happening to her?

"Edward, what's wrong with her?" Jasper hurried over, concerned by her behavior.

"I don't know. Bella, love, what's wrong?" My hands searched her, seeking for any sign of injuring. Had she cut herself on the rocks?

"I'm…it's…" She couldn't get any words out. Her teeth were clenched tightly together.

"Edward, her tail…" Jasper whispered in awe. I looked to see that Bella's tail had changed from a blue-green color, to a milky white, like human skin. I then watched aghast as her fins grew into feet, and her tail ripped down the middle. It looked indescribably painful. Soon, two human legs had replaced her tail. She was now shivering and panting in my arms.

"Bella," I watched in awe as the scales on her legs kneaded together to form smooth, creamy skin. A violent shiver shook through her body and knocked me from my stupor. I quickly retrieved the towel from my bag and wrapped her tightly in it. She immediately snuggled into the plush, warm fabric.

"There, Love." I rubbed her, hoping the friction would warm her some.

"Edward, we have to go," Jasper stated urgently. He was right. The wolves were no doubt patrolling at that moment. Sounds of their howls could be heard.

"Ready, Love?" I asked Bella. This would be her first time leaving the water.

"I'm ready. I've waited a long time to be with you, Edward. I don't want to wait anymore." Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I lifted her as I rose to my feet. She had waited more than enough. "Let's go. The wolves will hurt you if they catch us."

"You don't have to wait anymore, my love," I kissed her softly before following Jasper over the rocks and back into the trees. Bella sent one last wistful glance at the sea before turning to look at me.

"We'll be together forever now, right?" Isabella asked as she nuzzled her cheek against my chest.

"Yes. No more waiting for either of us. I'm all yours, Isabella." I smiled down at her as we continued to weave through the trees. She ducked her head, hiding her smile in my shirt.

"What?" I asked, eager to know what had made her smile.

"I like the way you say my name. I'm glad that you picked it," Bella whispered sweetly.

"Beautiful Bella," I crooned into her ears, delighting the soft blush that graced her cheeks. I could hear Jasper's thoughts. He was on high alert for the wolves, but he gave Bella and I some distance so we could speak privately, for which I was grateful. It was making me a bit anxious to heart their thoughts. They weren't very close, but that could quickly change. They were almost as fast as us, but the pack still wasn't aware that we were in their territory. That could quickly change as well.

"We're almost there, love," I told her as we neared the treaty line. I could hear the familiar thoughts of my family not far from us.

"Hmm," she responded, sleepily, beginning to drift to sleep in my arms. Changing her tail into legs seemed to zap all her energy. I winced at the memory of how much pain she had been in. She had asked me to hold her hand, so she had been expecting the pain obviously. How often did she do that? The thought of her enduring that pain on her own made me feel a torrent of emotions, none of which were the slightest bit pleasinG, but my worries quickly eased as she snuggled closer to me, wrapped in the large, fluffy towel.

_Bloodsucker!_

_Don't let him get away!_

_Paul, circle around._

The pack's thoughts suddenly bombarded me. The wolves had found another vampire wandering in their territory and were chasing him furiously… in our direction.

"Jasper, the pack's coming!" I warned him, picking up speed.

"Yeah, I hear them. They shouldn't be able to touch us as long as we're up here, but they're chasing another vampire, Edward. Where did he come from?" Jasper got closer to me. We needed to stay close together now.

The urgency in our voices had awoken Bella. "Edward, what's wrong?" Her eyes were blurry and unfocused; she was clearly exhausted.

"It's nothing to worry about, my love. The wolves are tracking another vampire, and they're close by, but they can't get us up here. We're almost at the treaty line," I said. I could see the reservoir now, but suddenly, the vampire's thoughts invaded my mind.

_Oh, it's nice to see a familiar face._ His thoughts were wicked and sinister; it was James.

"Jasper, it's him! It's the vampire that killed the girl," I warned him. He was intentionally leading the wolves towards us. "He's trying to lead the pack to us!"

"What?" Jasper asked right before several figures blurred on the ground beneath us.

_Don't you like pups? I'm sure we'd all have a grand time playing together._ James was dangerously close now. He had leaped into the trees with us.

_There are more of them up in the trees!_

_Get down here, leeches!_

"Edward!" Bella cried out as she saw the wolves circling below us.

_How nice of you to find me a replacement for the prey you stole from me earlier. She looks delicious._ I was now face to face with the blonde, red-eyed monster. His eyes raked over Bella who was clad only in a towel.

A vicious growl tore its way out of my throat. How dare he look at my mate like that. Jasper stayed close to me, acting as a barrier between us and James. The wolves were still below us, attacking the trees, trying to push them down. Our family had heard the noises and now Carlisle, Rose and Emmett were running towards us and right into the sea of wolves below us.

"Shit!" Emmett exclaimed as a grey one leaped at him. James charged at us, and Jasper made a move to stop him as I tried to get Bella away from him, but James knocked him aside and came directly at me, knocking me out of the trees. I held Bella tightly to my chest and landed soundlessly on my feet, but I was now surrounded by a mass of fighting wolves and vampires. A russet colored wolf spotted Bella clenched tightly in my arms.

_Let go of her, leech!_ He charged at me, thinking Bella was a human. His thoughts flashed to the girl from earlier. They really thought that it had been me who had attacked her. The wolf tried to dig its teeth into my arm, and in doing so, had knocked Bella from my grip.

"Ah!" she cried out in pain as she crashed against a rock, knocking her head against it.

"Bella!" I cried. I punched the wolf in the face, breaking its jaw, before rushing over to her. I immediately scooped her up and jumped back into the trees to find a confused, disheveled, and angry looking Jasper.

"Where's James?" I asked as I knelt down on a large branch to inspect Bella's wound. She had fallen unconscious. There was no sign of bleeding, but the spot was terribly tender and the crash had no doubt resulted in internal damage.

_He got away._ Jasper growled agitatedly.

I snarled at his thoughts. _Damn it!_

His eyes fell on Bella. "What happened to her?"

"One of the wolves attacked me, and she fell out of my arms and hit her head on one of the rocks," I replied, the worry evident in my voice.

_Son, come back to the house! Now! Hurry!_ Carlisle shouted in my head. I looked down to see that now was indeed the perfect time to escape. Most of the wolves were injured, but they were healing fast.

"Jazz, we have to go. Now!" We rushed through the trees, the others following swiftly on the ground. Esme and Alice were anxiously waiting for us at the house.

_Edward, I'm so sorry! I didn't see the other vampire. He just showed up. There was no planning or anything. Are you all okay?_ Her eyes ran over all of us, relieved to see we had all returned in one peace before her gaze finally fell on Bella who was still unconscious in my arms. I probably would have laughed at her expression if I hadn't been so concerned for my mate.

"Are any of you hurt?" Esme asked, guiding us anxiously into the living room.

"Carlisle, Bella hit her head," I rushed over to him, careful not to jostle my mate. Multiple gasps escaped my family members when they finally noticed the girl in my arms. Thoughts moved a thousand miles a minute, but I ignored all of them. I was going to kill that mutt for hurting my mate!

_This is her? _Carlisle gazed at my mate in wonder before tilting his head curiously. _Edward, why is she only wearing a towel?_

"Carlisle, please focus! I'll explain later, but we need to see to her injury now," I snapped at him. I had never yelled at my father before, but there was a first time for everything.

"Sorry, son, bring her into my office," I followed him up the stairs and into his study. There was a makeshift hospital bed which Carlisle instructed me to place her on as he retrieved his tools. I laid her gently on the bed and brushed her hair lightly out of the way so I could see the spot that she had hit. It was slightly swollen and when I brushed my fingers against it, the skin was very tender.

"Edward," Alice walked in with a light blue, terry cloth robe. "I thought she should have this."

"Thank you, Alice," I took the robe from her and removed the towel from Bella, jostling her as little as I possibly could as I slid the robe onto her. I was grateful for my sister's quick thinking. She went outside with the others to give Carlisle and me some space so we could concentrate on Bella. Our family members were all waiting outside the door, eager to see what my mate was like and anxious to hear if she was alright. Their minds were filled with a constant chatter as they fretted over Bella, but what really surprised me was that they were also concerned for me.

_It's not fair! He finally finds the mate he's been waiting a century for, and she's knocked unconscious by a pack of mutts who are pretty much determined to kill us all._

_If anything happens to her, I don't even want to think of what Edward will do. Why does this have to happen _now _of all times?_

_Edward must be worried out of his mind._

I found myself unexpectedly touched by their worries, both for me and for Isabella.

"Edward."

I snapped out of my thoughts, or rather, my family's thoughts and I looked at my father, who called me over as he stared at some X-rays.

"She doesn't have a concussion or any internal bleeding. She's perfectly fine. The spot is just tender. She'll definitely have a terrible headache when she wakes up, but pain medication can fix that with no problem," he explained. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at my love, who was peacefully sleeping on the bed.

_She's fine, Edward._ Carlisle patted my shoulder reassuringly. _She's a very lovely girl._ He told me, and it was very true. It was no secret that Isabella was beautiful… except maybe to her.

_Well, humans would sometimes call the sea creatures gross or disgusting, and I didn't know if you would think _I_ was, too_. Silly girl; I chuckled at the memory. She was divine in every way. I made my way over to the table and lightly kissed the bruised spot on her head.

"Hmm, Edward," she murmured in her sweet voice. The sound of her voice was lovely, so soft and melodious. My fingers ran over the softness of her warm cheeks.

_Edward, everyone wants to have a family meeting. Do you think now would be a good time to tell them about Bella being a…um,_ Jasper's thoughts entered my mind, stealing the moment of peace I was having. Bella's mind was completely silent to me. So many times I had run from my family seeking the peace that came with being alone, surrounded by silence, but here it was; my every desire, wrapped up into this beautiful girl. Heaven knows I didn't want to leave her side, but my family was calling for me, and it was best that I tell them what Isabella was now, so she wouldn't have to later. Seeing as how she had next to no experience speaking to and interacting with others, it would be easier for her if I informed my family beforehand.

Everyone had migrated to the living room once they had heard that Bella was alright. I reluctantly removed myself from her side to join them downstairs and sat on the sofa next to Carlisle. His thoughts were congratulating and happy, but he also was worried about our family being still in Forks as well as how Bella was feeling. Everyone else was well… terrible; Emmett was teasing me, thinking suggestive comments about why I had been carrying Bella naked. Esme was positively thrilled that I had found a mate and was prattling about how beautiful she was. Alice was just like Esme, but worse. She was thinking of all the fun things she could do with her new "sister". Rosalie and Jasper weren't as bad as the others; Jasper was thinking about how dangerous it was for us to be staying in the house when the wolves could attack any second. Rosalie was mentally damning the wolves to hell because for… several reasons.

"Alright everyone, first we'll start off with Edward's mate. We were able to successfully bring his mate back to the house, though she hit her head. She might not be conscious for several hours," Carlisle explained to everyone before continuing gravely. "I'm sure you're all aware that the wolves could attack us at any moment, and now, we have another vampire who seems to have found amusement in tormenting Edward. This causes a great complication for us because if we do try to leave, we have no idea what he'll do, or if his interference will attract the pack's attention. It is obviously not safe for us here, but we need to work out a plan."

"It'll be dangerous for us if we go hunting," Jasper added. "We'll need to hunt in groups while we're here. It's probably best that we go in groups of three so there's always enough people to fight if the wolves attack us here or while we're out."

"Jasper's right. I'm completely blind when it comes to them. I can't see what they're planning," Alice grumbled. "The only way I can see anything is if I look into our futures. If they're black, the wolves attack. If they're there, we're in the clear," she sardonically chirped a little rhyme. I could feel the aggravation emitting from her. _Stupid wolves, taking away _my_ power, attacking _my_ family; I can't wait to get my hands on them._

"Carlisle, we can't stay here," Esme looked up entreatingly at her mate. They shared a look, and in that moment, they were able to read each other's minds; both were equally concerned about us, their children.

"I know." He sighed like he had the whole world on his shoulders. My whole family looked distressed. This was exactly what I had been trying to avoid.

"Edward, stop it! You're our family and, dangerous or not, we'll help you when you need it. We'll come up with a way to fix this. You feeling guilty isn't going to help us get out of here," Jasper hissed at me, though his words held no real fire. I could feel everything he was sending my way. He was more worried than anything.

"Jasper's right, Edward, and if my memory serves me well, I recall telling you just this afternoon that you should depend on us more. We're you're only family after all," my annoying pixie of a sister said as she plopped herself down on my lap.

_You need to rely on us more, Edward. You can't keep feeling like you have to do everything on your own, especially now that you have a mate._ Jasper smirked at me when he thought the last part. He was right. Mates treated each other as equals; two halves of a whole. My own decisions wouldn't just affect me anymore. My life was no longer just my own. My heart and soul belonged to another.

"Edward now is as good a time as any to tell them about Bella," Jasper urged me.

"What about Bella?" Carlisle asked. All eyes were on me for what felt like the hundredth time today.

I sighed before beginning, "Well, I told you all that Isabella was neither vampire nor human. She is a mermaid." My words were met by an awkward stretch of silence.

"A what?" Rosalie blinked.

"A mermaid," I repeated.

"Come again?" Carlisle asked.

"A mer-maid!" I stressed the syllables. They were vampires; their minds didn't work this slowly. "Mythical sea-creature: half human, half fish. M-E-R-M-A-I-D. Mermaid!"

"Could you use the word in a sentence?" Emmett asked with his hand raised just to vex me. I growled at him.

"Emmett!" Esme chastened him. "We're sorry, Edward, but surely you can understand our surprise. Mermaids aren't exactly…well, common."

"Yeah, 'cause they don't exist; or they didn't anyway. Apparently they do now," Rosalie huffed.

"So, she has like… a tail?" Emmett asked hesitantly.

"Yep! I thought I was going choke on my tongue when I saw it," Jasper spoke up, chuckling softly. "I saw this beautiful brunette who was naked from the waist up and this shiny, scaly tail just swishing around." He mimed a swaying motion with his hand.

"Jasper!" Alice and I hissed at him. I didn't appreciate him bringing up my mate's nakedness to my whole family, and Alice didn't appreciate her mate talking about another girl's lack of clothes.

Rosalie perked up. "Yeah, about that; I noticed she was only wrapped in a towel when you brought her inside."

"Let's not discuss this," Esme chided her children.

"But this is extraordinary! Mermaids really exist," Carlisle exclaimed with his golden eyes wide and shining brightly. He was clearly is awe at the new information. "And she has been living in the waters off the coast of La Push?"

"Yes. She has been there for over eighty years. She saw me when we were last here and had established the treaty," I admitted to them.

"What?" I was met by a series of loud, flabbergasted thoughts.

"She's been there for over eighty years?" Esme repeated, stunned. "Was she alone? Is she the only mermaid there?" I nodded sadly. My mate had been alone for almost a century.

"Oh, the poor thing," Esme said with her hand on her chest. The idea seemed unbearable to her.

"So what the heck did she do for eighty years? Fish?" Emmett asked.

"Edward?"

The sound of my mate's voice reached my ear. It was breathy and a bit hoarse, as if she was having trouble breathing. I looked up to see her at the top of the stairs, gripping tightly onto the banister. I watched in horror as she attempted to step down onto the first stair and lost her balance. Before anyone could even blink, I was up the stairs with Isabella wrapped securely in my arms. Bella looked up at me, bewildered; she was trying to process that she had been in danger and then saved in less than two seconds.

I tucked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear and cupped her sweet face with one hand, the other keeping her held tightly against me. I gazed into the eyes that held so much love for me; love that I did not deserve but would take greedily.

"Nice save, bro!" Emmett whooped from below us, startling Bella out of her stupor. She jumped and slightly and blinked slowly before resting her head on my chest.

"How do you feel?" I softly stroked her hair, careful to avoid the sensitive, bruised spot.

"My head hurts," Bella whimpered quietly, nuzzling against me. "But you make the pain go away."

I could relate; all of my frazzled nerves had calmed immediately once I had Bella safely wrapped in my arms. Her presence was so soothing to me. I brushed my lips ever softly over the abused spot and felt my mate relax further against me as if I was the only thing supporting her at the moment. If I moved, she would surely fall. It concerned me how heavy her breathing was. She was obviously overexerting herself.

I swept her off her feet and tucked her tightly against me. A slight purr rumbled its way through my chest, my kind's natural instinct for soothing one's mate. Bella cooed at the sound and cuddled against me, seeming as if she was trying to bury herself inside me. I wouldn't mind. She looked so small and fragile in my arms. I wanted to lock her away in my heart and keep her safe forever. I don't think she would have minded either.

I looked up to see Carlisle walking up the stairs. The rest of the family remained where they were sitting in the living room, but all eyes rested on the beautiful creature in my arms. Isabella was practically asleep in my arms.

"Isabella," Carlisle called softly as he approached, trying not to disturb her. "My name is Carlisle. I am Edward's father and a doctor. I could give you some medication to help with the pain."

"No, thank you. It doesn't hurt anymore," Isabella mumbled, seeming to pay more attention to my chest than Carlisle, who looked slightly perplexed by her response.

"It doesn't hurt?" he repeated skeptically.

"No. It stopped hurting when Edward touched it." Her words were beginning to slur; she was falling asleep.

"Edward, why don't you take her to one of the guest rooms to sleep?" Esme had joined us. She rested her hand on the arm of her mate. Carlisle was still slightly baffled by Bella's statement.

_She said the pain went away when you touched her, Edward, _he thought_. _I was aware, and while it was an interesting topic, it was not important at the moment. My mate was tired and needed somewhere comfortable to sleep though she appeared to be perfectly content curled up in my arms.

"We'll talk about it later, Carlisle. I'm going to go lay her down like Esme suggested," I turned and walked down the hall, not waiting for me father's response. I was becoming quite rude, but I didn't appreciate that all these people were interfering with my relationship with Bella. I couldn't seem to get a handle on my emotions. I felt viciously protective and possessive of her, and when she was present, everything else lost importance to me.

I carried her into one of the vacant bedrooms. It was a simple, elegant looking room with no real sign that anyone resided there, but there was a freshly made bed whereas my room only had my leather couch which I refused to allow my mate to sleep on when she was in such as state. I laid her down on the plush mattress and tugged the covers over her.

"Edward." I turned to see Alice standing in the doorway with some clothes neatly folded in her hands.

_They're pajamas, and there's underwear too. She might get sick if she sleeps in a damp robe. _I was grateful for Alice's thoughtfulness. She helped me change Bella into the soft fabric. I kissed my sister's spiky head before she left the room, giving me a cheeky wink as she shut the door. I chuckled and shook my head at her playfulness; Alice would never change.

"Edward, it hurts," Isabella mewled softly from where she lied on the bed. She was curled up in a fetal position with her hands gripping her head. Her breathing reverted back to panting as she hissed in pain. I rushed to her side, and, afraid that she would press her injured spot, I removed her hands from her head.

"Shh, my love." I lied down next to her on the bed, my arms wrapping around her once again as I stroked her hair softly, careful not to press against the bruised area. She calmed almost immediately and let out a sound similar to my purr as she cuddled against my chest once again.

"Hmm," Isabella hummed contentedly. I could see what Carlisle had been so fascinated by. All of her discomfort seemed to fade away with my touch.

"Better?" I whispered into her ear before kissing it softly.

"Mm-hmm," my mate hummed drowsily in response. Her legs tangled with mine reminding me of the way her tail had wrapped around me when we had first kissed. Her breathing slowed as she began to drift into dream land. She had completely fallen asleep in less than thirty seconds. She must have been exhausted, and she was still recovering from her head injury. It was a miracle that the only damage after such a collision had been some bruising. A part of me wanted to growl; she shouldn't have been hurt in the first place, but I was still grateful that her injuries were so mild. If only that wolf hadn't attacked me so recklessly.

I trailed my index finger down her smooth cheek. She was a perfect sleeping beauty with rosy lips, long lashes, fair skin, and soft waves of hair curling beautifully around her sleeping face. This was my mate. It seemed incomprehensible to me. This stunning creature would be forever mine. She loved me and had waited decades to be with me. I couldn't help but feel humbled. There was no way I could be worthy of such a blessing, but as Isabella whispered my name in sleep, I caught myself thinking, I would be grateful for her every day, and I would never let her go.

**I hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think. Questions, comment, and critiques are encouraged. Thanks to all those who have reviewed. They really mean a lot to me. See you soon!**


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